UN special envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said Tuesday that talks between major powers this month on setting up a committee to lead constitutional reform in Syria will be a “moment of truth” for a credible political process.
“I cannot and will not at this stage forecast today how far we will be progressing on 10 and 11 September but I do can state the following: it is going to be quite an important moment of truth,” De Mistura told reporters, following a news conference at the United Nations in Geneva.
The UN envoy will hold separate sets of talks next week, one involving Russia, Turkey and Iran, and the other including the United States and Saudi Arabia, to discuss the makeup of the committee.
De Mistura said it must not be allowed to become a “long, winding process about the process” but could be the entry point into Syrian government reforms leading to elections after the war.
Meanwhile, the special envoy expressed hope that the potential military escalation in Idlib would not derail the upcoming meeting.
“We are determined to maintain the dates of 10the and 11th [of September],” De Mistura said adding that the precise numbers regarding the constitutional committee would be discussed at the meeting.
Source: Agencies
